Best time
Mid-May to mid-October is the season for the full loop, and June to September is when both roads, from Shimla and from Manali over the Kunzum pass, are usually open and Chandratal can be reached. From November to April only the Shimla and Kinnaur road reaches Kaza, for winter trips in the snow.
- May to June, 5 to 25°C: The season opens: clear skies, snow on the passes, and the Manali side opening as the Kunzum pass is cleared.
- July to September, 8 to 25°C: The full season with both roads open and Chandratal reachable; Spiti is in the rain shadow, but landslides on the Kinnaur and Manali roads can delay a day.
- October, -2 to 18°C: Cold, golden and empty; the Manali side closes when the snow comes.
- November to April, -25 to 10°C: Winter Spiti: snow-bound villages reached only through Shimla and Kinnaur, for travellers who want the snow and can take the cold.
What to pack
Warm layers in every month: a down jacket, thermals, gloves and a woollen cap, because nights at Kaza are near freezing even in summer and far below it in winter. Sunglasses and strong sunscreen for the high-altitude sun, sturdy shoes, a refillable bottle, altitude-sickness medicine your doctor approves, and cash, since ATMs and card machines are few beyond Kaza.
Getting there
From Hyderabad, fly to Delhi or Chandigarh, where the Spiti trips start; Shimla is about eight hours by road from Delhi and four from Chandigarh, and the loop continues by road from there. There is no rail or air link into the valley itself.
From Bengaluru, fly to Delhi or Chandigarh and join the trip there; the rest of the journey is by road through Shimla and Kinnaur, since Spiti has no airport or railway.
From Chennai, fly to Delhi or Chandigarh, the start points for the Spiti trips; the valley is reached by road only, through Shimla and Kinnaur or, in summer, from Manali.
